West Ham will have to see off Chelsea if they want to secure the signature of Real Betis defender Luiz Felipe, according to Estadio Deportivo.

The Hammers have been heavily linked with the Italian international in the Spanish press but it is now believed that they will have rivals for the centre-back’s services.

Chelsea recently lost Wesley Fofana to a serious knee injury and they have been weighing up whether to sign a replacement before the transfer window closes next month.

Felipe may be seen as a relatively cheap, short-term fix, with it being reported that Betis would be willing to let him leave for around €20m (£17m).

Neither West Ham nor their London rivals have, though, tabled a formal bid for the 26-year-old so far.

Are West Ham in the market for a centre-half?

After losing Craig Dawson to Wolves in January, manager David Moyes has had to make do with Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna as his three centre-back options, with Thilo Kehrer filling in when he can.

It is definitely a position that the Irons would like to strengthen if possible but there are more pressing concerns in other areas of the pitch.

Finding replacements for Rice and Cresswell

Trying to fill the hole left by Declan Rice is the main concern for Moyes and sporting director Tim Steidten at the moment. The club are keen on recruiting Fulham’s Joao Palhinha but his asking price is proving problematic. Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, Juventus’s Denis Zakaria and Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana are other names that are under consideration.

Following the news that Aaron Cresswell may follow Dawson to Wolves this summer, a new left-back is also on the agenda. Rennes’ Adrien Truffert, Nice’s Melvin Bard and Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen are all thought to be targets to replace Cresswell if the 33-year-old leaves.